John Betjeman Award

"There are something like twenty thousand CofE places of worship in this country and of those far more than half are ancient buildings, that is to say each represents the gradual growth of a community. They are the history of English art displayed in living form, and most country churches have far more to tell to those who will look than have the local museums." 
from Art in Living Form by John Betjeman

 

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: 2nd March 2012 
 
The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings invites entries for a competition to honour the memory of Sir John Betjeman, and to mark his membership of The Society’s Committee from 1954 to 1977. The award will be made for repair to the fabric of buildings currently in religious use and which were built as churches, chapels or other places of worship in England and Wales. The work must have been completed during the previous 18 months.

The intention is to reward excellence and the highest level of conservation craftsmanship and to allow the winning repair work to be presented as an example to others.

The award itself will take the form of a specially commissioned print by John Piper of a church much loved by Sir John Betjeman, with a suitable inscription. The winner will be announced at the Society’s AGM in the summer; in Cornerstone, the Society’s magazine; and on the SPAB website.

    
                                                

                          St Mary the Virgin, Beeston-next-Mileham, Norfolk – Winner of the 2010 John Betjeman Award

                           Photograph: Simon Barber

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
                         
                                                                                         
CONDITIONS

1.      Entry forms are available on application to the SPAB, 37 Spital Square, London, E1 6DY, or can be downloaded from the Society’s website www.spab.org.uk. They should normally be signed by the Incumbent or Churchwarden in respect of Anglican buildings, by the Bishop or Priest in respect of Roman Catholic buildings, by the Minister or an Elder in respect of Non-Conformist buildings, or by their equivalent in the case of other faiths.  Cathedrals are not eligible.

2.      The entry form should carry a brief  description of the repair or conservation project carried out. If the application is shortlisted, the judges are likely to request more detailed information about it. Reference should be made to the criteria listed below.  The form should be accompanied by a small selection of photographs (maximum 12 suggested), showing the project before, during and after.

3.      The award is for a specific repair to a single element of the building and not a general programme of works. Work of repair on any scale will be eligible, but it must be to the fabric of the building (e.g. spires, towers, roofs, walls, floors, windows, etc.), or to internal fixed or freestanding significant furnishings (e.g. murals, monuments, screens, tombs, fixed pews, pulpits, etc).

4.      Work that enlarges an ecclesiastical building or rearranges its internal space to accommodate alternative uses will not be eligible.

5.      The work must have been completed during the previous 18 months.

6.      All submissions will be examined by three judges at SPAB, and a shortlist prepared. The judges are chosen by the Guardians and will visit the short-listed building in the company of a representative of the applicant.

7.      The winner may be asked to submit, without a fee, a 1500 word article suitable for publication in Cornerstone, the Society’s magazine, and supported by adequate illustrations, and provide two A2 size portrait display boards for exhibition purposes.

8.      The award is made to the place of worship and not to any individual responsible for the work.

9.      All applications to be made in hard copy and delivered to SPAB.

10.    The judges' decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

 

INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS

The judges will be looking for work that is firmly based on the principles of conservative repair advocated by the SPAB since 1877.

Among other criteria they will be looking to see:

·        A reasoned argument for the need for the repair work, including the philosophical basis for the repairs proposed

·        Repair techniques formulated in response to a detailed analysis of the problems

·        The appropriateness and honesty of the solution adopted – materials and detailing

·        The extent to which loss of original fabric was limited during the work

·        The quality of craftsmanship and materials used

·        The quality of recording and/or monitoring of the work in progress

·        The appropriateness of the repair in relation to the rest of the building

The architectural quality of the building is less important than the quality of the repair. It is not essential that the building is listed as being of architectural interest. 

Click here to download an APPLICATION FORM or contact: SPAB, 37 SPITAL SQUARE, LONDON E1 6DY TEL: 020 7377 1644: info@spab.org.uk or from the Society’s website www.spab.org.uk